7 Races for Veteran Endurance Junkies

There’s no such thing as an easy IRONMAN, but there is such a thing as an extremely difficult one. From the most challenging IRONMAN races across the globe to some quad-killing multi-stage mountain bike races, here are six events for those of you with a solid base and an arsenal of mental fortitude. After all, the best stories are made in struggle.

Ask the most seasoned of IRONMAN competitors what the most challenging course in the world is, and the overwhelming consensus is IRONMAN Lanzarote. With nearly 8,400 feet of climbing on the bike, including the brutal ascent up to Los Nieves, the Lanzarote bike course will humble even the most tenacious cyclists. While it’s possible to prepare for the endless ups and downs of the bike course, it’s nearly impossible to prepare for the island’s punishing winds, which are often even more powerful and unpredictable than those on the Big Island of Hawaii. Athletes who survive all 112 miles of the bike are rewarded with a relatively flat marathon course, but the intense Lanzarote sun and temperatures soaring close to triple digits make it anything but a run in the park.

IRONMAN France may have won the 2016 Athletes’ Choice Awards for Overall Satisfaction, Best Bike Course and Best Race Venue, but it didn’t win those awards because it’s easy. The gem of IRONMAN France is the legendary bike course in the hills overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. While the course "only" totals about 6,000 feet of climbing, it’s the number of climbs that make this race so challenging. Be sure to enjoy the descents and take a moment to rest your legs, because the relentless climbs keep coming throughout all 112 miles. There’s a reward for your suffering, however: The run course along Nice’s Promenade des Anglais is completely flat and might even have a refreshing breeze coming off the Sea—if you're lucky.

Set in the high country of New Zealand’s Southern Alps, the legendary Motatapu (pictured above) is one of the most unique multisport events in the world. With five different events to choose from (an off-road triathlon, mountain bike, off-road marathon, trail run, and ultra trail marathon) there’s something to fit every appetite for suffering. For true endurance masochists, the most punishing events are the off-road triathlon and the ultra run. The triathlon is one of longest off-road races in the world, combining a 2k swim, 47k bike and 15k run. Both the bike and run contain a handful of lengthy climbs, river crossings and hair-raising descents. It’s anything but beginner-friendly. The 51k ultra run takes athletes up and over four mountain passes totaling a ridiculous 9,150 feet of climbing.

It’s difficult to compare a mountain bike stage race to a triathlon in terms of difficulty, but in terms of sustained hours of suffering, The Pioneer ranks number one on this list. This legendary seven-day race from Christchurch to Queenstown traverses New Zealand’s Southern Alps and takes riders across 338 miles (545 km) of riding with more than 15,000 feet of climbing. Along the way, each team of two will conquer New Zealand’s most famous mountains, including Mt. Cook, which is the tallest mountain in the country at 12,218 feet. But there’s reward in the suffering: While dozens of races claim to be the world’s “most scenic,” it’s hard to believe any event has a more valid stake to that claim than The Pioneer. Also helping to dull the pain of this weeklong sufferfest is knowing that the final day is a 60K downhill plunge from the "Snow Farm" to Queenstown.

After a six-year hiatus, IRONMAN returned to Malaysia’s Langkawi Island in 2014 and the event proved to be as brutally tough as ever. On average, this is the hottest IRONMAN event in the world, with temperatures usually ranging between 90 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The only reprieve you might receive is that November sees the tail-end of Malaysia’s rainy season, so you might luck out with an afternoon shower to cool things off just a little during the marathon. It’s not just the heat that makes this race so challenging, however. The bike course treats athletes to a tour of the natural beauty of the interior of the island, but along with the scenery comes unrelenting rolling hills and oppressive humidity. Those who survive until the marathon will enjoy a relatively flat run course past Langkawi’s pristine beaches—just don’t expect the heat to relent, even when the sun goes down.

Central England might not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of challenging terrain, but by the second time up the infamous Sheep House Lane climb on the IRONMAN UK bike course, you’ll understand why IRONMAN UK is consistently named one of the most challenging triathlons in the world. Located just north of Manchester, the quaint town of Bolton is renowned by Brits for having some of the country’s friendliest people and best pubs, but it’s known among cyclists for its endless steep climbs. While it’s the bike course with 5,400 feet of climbing that makes IRONMAN UK worthy of a spot on this list, the weather can also present an additional race-day challenge. Heat may rarely be an issue, but this is central England, so a wet and blustery day is always possible, even in July. Be sure to pack gear for every possible condition, but most importantly, make sure your climbing legs are up to snuff.

While it may seem hard to believe that an IRONMAN 70.3 could be worthy of this list with so many challenging full IRONMAN events out there, anyone who has completed the run course at IRONMAN 70.3 St. George knows it’s not for the faint of heart. The 56-mile bike course is no walk in the park, but the unrelenting hills of the run and the extremely unpredictable weather make this one of the most challenging IRONMAN 70.3 event in the world. The most sinister part of the run is that the hardest section comes immediately out of T2, where athletes are forced up a steady three-mile climb to start the half-marathon. There is a consolation, however: The final two miles to the finish are almost all downhill. As challenging as the run in St. George is, the weather is often the most arduous element to contend with on race day. Located in a deep valley and surrounded by massive mountains, the weather can change from calm and cool to blustery and scorching in an instant. If you’re looking for a challenge worthy of the IRONMAN name without doing the full distance, look no further than this Utah gem.

Ashworth Awards is the Official Medal Provider of the IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 North American Series.